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Midseason series show some promise
March and April mark debuts
By MIKE McDANIEL
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
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Television Preview
— A look ahead at the upcoming season.
Midseason TV is like preseason baseball.
The results don't matter much.
You've got more players than you can use.
The product doesn't always live up to the hype.
Over the next two months, while many regularly scheduled series go into hiatus or reruns, new shows will dot the TV landscape, both on cable and broadcast networks. Many do not rate a risen eyebrow. They will air and never be heard from again.
Others — the ones marked here with 3 stars and more — break the mold just enough to keep our interest and, we suggest, merit yours.
The good and the bad share the docket with the much anticipated return of some series favorites, The Sopranos and The Shield chief among them.
Here's a preview of March and April TV:
Comedy
Andy Barker, P.I. ( * * *) A mild-mannered CPA (Andy Richter) can't get his strip-mall accounting biz off the ground. So when he's mistaken for a retired private detective, he decides to take on sleuthing as a sideline — however ill-equipped he may be to handle the job. He gets a comical assist from his wife (Clea Lewis), a video-store clerk (Tony Hale), a restaurant owner (Marshall Manesh) and the retired private detective (Harve Presnell). March 15, NBC.
Halfway Home. ( * * 1/2 ) Five ex-cons — a male prostitute (Oscar Nuñez), a rich kid/wannabe terrorist (Jordan Black), a pyromaniac (Regan Burns), a drug trafficker (Jessica Makinson) and an armed robber (Octavia Spencer) — must rehab together in an L.A. halfway house. Comedy ranges from silly to inspired. March 14 on Comedy Central.
The Wedding Bells. ( * * *) Romantic comedy about a wedding-planning business run by the Bell sisters: Annie (KaDee Strickland), Jane (Teri Polo) and Sammy (Sarah Jones). David E. Kelley brings the funny. Previews tonight, bows Friday on Fox.
The Winner. ( * * 1/2 ) It's 1994 and Glen (Rob Corddry), 32, is still an adolescent living at home. When the only girl he's ever kissed, Alison (Erinn Hayes) returns to town with her 13-year-old son, Josh (Keir Gilchrist), Glen is inspired to become a grown-up. Fortunately he'll have Josh to bond with. Executive producers Seth MacFarlane and Ricky Blitt (Family Guy) stick with the sophomoric humor they know. Premiered March 4 on Fox.
Drama
Blood Ties. ( * * 1/2 ) A private investigator teams with a 450-year-old vampire to solve modern-day crimes. March 11 on Lifetime.
October Road. ( * * 1/2 ) A novelist returns home after 10 years to find his family and friends unwelcoming because he used them in his book. Bryan Greenberg, Laura Prepon and Tom Berenger lead an ensemble cast. March 15 on ABC.
Raines. ( * * *) Jeff Goldblum plays Michael Raines, a Los Angeles police detective whose partner was killed. Raines solves murder cases by interacting with the deceased victims. High-concept, yes, but the pilot, written by Graham Yost (Boomtown) and directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) works. Matt Craven, Remi Boyer, Michelle Lance, Malik Yoba and Carolyn Crumley also star. March 15 on NBC.
The Riches. ( * * *) A family of grifters, led by Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver, assume the identities of well-to-do and recently deceased suburbanites. Amazingly, they get away with it, even with one of their own kind on their trail. March 12 on FX.
Robin Hood. ( * * *) Modernized in "little bits," to quote the producer, the best parts of the legend remain intact. Jonas Armstrong and Lucy Griffiths are young and vibrant as Robin and Marian. Debuted March 3 on BBC America.
Six Degrees. ( * *) The series returns. March 23 on ABC.
Informational
The Essentials. ( * * 1/2 ) For Season 7, Carrie Fisher joins Robert Osborne in providing pop-culture relevance to classic films. Premiered March 3 on TCM.
Intervention. ( * * 1/2 ) Season 3 of the sometimes harrowing true-reality series begins. March 16 on A&E.
This American Life. ( * * *) Ira Glass translates his unique public-radio series for the tube. March 22 on Showtime.
Reality (competition)
Australia's Next Top Model. ( * *) Ten Aussies compete in this eight-part series. Debuted Monday on VH1.
Bullrun. ( * * 1/2 ) Twelve two-person teams compete in a cross-America road rally. Bows March 13 on Spike TV.
Dancing With the Stars. (Unpreviewed) The celebrity hoofers: Laila Ali, Billy Ray Cyrus, Clyde Drexler, Joey Fatone, Shandi Finnessey, Leeza Gibbons, Heather Mills, Apolo Anton Ohno, John Ratzenberger, Paulina Porizkova and Ian Ziering. March 19 on ABC.
The Great American Dream Vote. (Unpreviewed) Contestants asks for America's vote in making their wildest dream come true. Donny Osmond hosts. March 27 on ABC.
*****cat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll. ( * *) Thousands audition for the chance to join the singing and dancing group. March 6 on the CW.
Reality (noncompetition)
College Hill. ( * *) For Season 4, cameras follow college students at the University of the Virgin Islands. March 6 on BET.
Dice Undisputed. ( * *) Andrew Dice Clay emerges from retirement ready to become a multimedia star: writing a book, cutting a record, producing his own Sirius radio show, appearing on stage and starring in this series. Debuted March 4 on VH1.
The Girls Next Door. ( * 1/2 ) More play with the Playboy bunnies. Season 3 premieres March 4 on E!.
Paradise City. ( * *) The Apprentice on steroids. Eight young singles try to kick off their careers in Las Vegas, with all of its tempting distractions. Executive producers: Go Go Lukey Productions (MTV's Laguna Beach) and Ryan Seacrest. Debuted March 4 on E!
Tori & Dean: Inn Love. ( * 1/2 ) Tori Spelling and boyfriend Dean McDermott try to be innkeepers. Only she doesn't cook. And he doesn't know what he's doing. March 20 on Oxygen.
Work Out. ( * *) An exercise in exercise, business relationships and lesbian love. Season 2. March 20 on Bravo.
Variety
Showbiz Show With David Spade. (Unpreviewed) The limply funny talk show returns. Season 3, March 15 on Comedy Central.
The Whitest Kids U'Know. ( * * *) Comedy with a hard (some might say taboo) edge comes to niche television. March 20 on Fuse.
Coming soon
The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman. (Unpreviewed) Lt. Andy Baldwin, a 30-year-old undersea medical officer stationed in Hawaii, stars in the 10th edition of the reality series. April 2 on ABC.
Drive . (Unpreviewed) Mystery/adventure series about a road rally in which the participants are not volunteers. April 15 on Fox.
Entourage. (Unpreviewed) The boys are back in town for Season 4. April 8 on HBO.
Head Case. (Unpreviewed) Elizabeth Goode is not your typical therapist. As played by Alexandra Wentworth, she's judgmental and often rude to Hollywood's maladjusted celebrity elite. Getting the Goode Treatment: Rick Fox, Tom Sizemore, Alanis Morissette, Jason Priestley, Ione Skye, Sean P. Hayes, Ralph Macchio, Jane Kaczmarek, Jennifer Finnigan, Andy Dick, Shelby Lynne, Rich Eisen, Jonathan Silverman, Liz Phair, Fred Willard and Willie Garson. April 18 on Starz.
On the Lot. (Unpreviewed) Budding filmmakers show their short movies and viewers decide who wins a development deal. Executive producers: Mark Burnett, Steven Spielberg. Unscheduled, Fox.
Planet Earth. ( * * * 1/2 ) Spectacular eye candy awaits in this limited-run nature series. April 25 on Discovery.
The Shield. (Unpreviewed) Season 6. Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker returns to television's grittiest show. April 3 on FX.
Sons of Hollywood. ( * *) The sons of Aaron Spelling and Rod Stewart team up with friend David Weintraub in this reality series about the Hollywood business and entertainment scene. April 1 on A&E.
The Sopranos. (Unpreviewed) Ba-da-bye-bye. The last nine episodes begin. April 8 on HBO.
Thank God You're Here. (Unpreviewed) Four actors walk into a live sketch without a script. Host: David Alan Grier. Judge: Dave Foley. April 9 on NBC.
The Tudors. ( * * 1/2 ) Jonathan Rhys-Myers plays a young Henry VIII in a production that is as interested in his prodigious sexual appetite as in his political accomplishments. April 1 on Showtime.
mike.mcdaniel@chron.com
LINK
March and April mark debuts
By MIKE McDANIEL
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
TOOLS
Email Get section feed
Print Subscribe NOW
RESOURCES
Television Preview
— A look ahead at the upcoming season.
Midseason TV is like preseason baseball.
The results don't matter much.
You've got more players than you can use.
The product doesn't always live up to the hype.
Over the next two months, while many regularly scheduled series go into hiatus or reruns, new shows will dot the TV landscape, both on cable and broadcast networks. Many do not rate a risen eyebrow. They will air and never be heard from again.
Others — the ones marked here with 3 stars and more — break the mold just enough to keep our interest and, we suggest, merit yours.
The good and the bad share the docket with the much anticipated return of some series favorites, The Sopranos and The Shield chief among them.
Here's a preview of March and April TV:
Comedy
Andy Barker, P.I. ( * * *) A mild-mannered CPA (Andy Richter) can't get his strip-mall accounting biz off the ground. So when he's mistaken for a retired private detective, he decides to take on sleuthing as a sideline — however ill-equipped he may be to handle the job. He gets a comical assist from his wife (Clea Lewis), a video-store clerk (Tony Hale), a restaurant owner (Marshall Manesh) and the retired private detective (Harve Presnell). March 15, NBC.
Halfway Home. ( * * 1/2 ) Five ex-cons — a male prostitute (Oscar Nuñez), a rich kid/wannabe terrorist (Jordan Black), a pyromaniac (Regan Burns), a drug trafficker (Jessica Makinson) and an armed robber (Octavia Spencer) — must rehab together in an L.A. halfway house. Comedy ranges from silly to inspired. March 14 on Comedy Central.
The Wedding Bells. ( * * *) Romantic comedy about a wedding-planning business run by the Bell sisters: Annie (KaDee Strickland), Jane (Teri Polo) and Sammy (Sarah Jones). David E. Kelley brings the funny. Previews tonight, bows Friday on Fox.
The Winner. ( * * 1/2 ) It's 1994 and Glen (Rob Corddry), 32, is still an adolescent living at home. When the only girl he's ever kissed, Alison (Erinn Hayes) returns to town with her 13-year-old son, Josh (Keir Gilchrist), Glen is inspired to become a grown-up. Fortunately he'll have Josh to bond with. Executive producers Seth MacFarlane and Ricky Blitt (Family Guy) stick with the sophomoric humor they know. Premiered March 4 on Fox.
Drama
Blood Ties. ( * * 1/2 ) A private investigator teams with a 450-year-old vampire to solve modern-day crimes. March 11 on Lifetime.
October Road. ( * * 1/2 ) A novelist returns home after 10 years to find his family and friends unwelcoming because he used them in his book. Bryan Greenberg, Laura Prepon and Tom Berenger lead an ensemble cast. March 15 on ABC.
Raines. ( * * *) Jeff Goldblum plays Michael Raines, a Los Angeles police detective whose partner was killed. Raines solves murder cases by interacting with the deceased victims. High-concept, yes, but the pilot, written by Graham Yost (Boomtown) and directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) works. Matt Craven, Remi Boyer, Michelle Lance, Malik Yoba and Carolyn Crumley also star. March 15 on NBC.
The Riches. ( * * *) A family of grifters, led by Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver, assume the identities of well-to-do and recently deceased suburbanites. Amazingly, they get away with it, even with one of their own kind on their trail. March 12 on FX.
Robin Hood. ( * * *) Modernized in "little bits," to quote the producer, the best parts of the legend remain intact. Jonas Armstrong and Lucy Griffiths are young and vibrant as Robin and Marian. Debuted March 3 on BBC America.
Six Degrees. ( * *) The series returns. March 23 on ABC.
Informational
The Essentials. ( * * 1/2 ) For Season 7, Carrie Fisher joins Robert Osborne in providing pop-culture relevance to classic films. Premiered March 3 on TCM.
Intervention. ( * * 1/2 ) Season 3 of the sometimes harrowing true-reality series begins. March 16 on A&E.
This American Life. ( * * *) Ira Glass translates his unique public-radio series for the tube. March 22 on Showtime.
Reality (competition)
Australia's Next Top Model. ( * *) Ten Aussies compete in this eight-part series. Debuted Monday on VH1.
Bullrun. ( * * 1/2 ) Twelve two-person teams compete in a cross-America road rally. Bows March 13 on Spike TV.
Dancing With the Stars. (Unpreviewed) The celebrity hoofers: Laila Ali, Billy Ray Cyrus, Clyde Drexler, Joey Fatone, Shandi Finnessey, Leeza Gibbons, Heather Mills, Apolo Anton Ohno, John Ratzenberger, Paulina Porizkova and Ian Ziering. March 19 on ABC.
The Great American Dream Vote. (Unpreviewed) Contestants asks for America's vote in making their wildest dream come true. Donny Osmond hosts. March 27 on ABC.
*****cat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll. ( * *) Thousands audition for the chance to join the singing and dancing group. March 6 on the CW.
Reality (noncompetition)
College Hill. ( * *) For Season 4, cameras follow college students at the University of the Virgin Islands. March 6 on BET.
Dice Undisputed. ( * *) Andrew Dice Clay emerges from retirement ready to become a multimedia star: writing a book, cutting a record, producing his own Sirius radio show, appearing on stage and starring in this series. Debuted March 4 on VH1.
The Girls Next Door. ( * 1/2 ) More play with the Playboy bunnies. Season 3 premieres March 4 on E!.
Paradise City. ( * *) The Apprentice on steroids. Eight young singles try to kick off their careers in Las Vegas, with all of its tempting distractions. Executive producers: Go Go Lukey Productions (MTV's Laguna Beach) and Ryan Seacrest. Debuted March 4 on E!
Tori & Dean: Inn Love. ( * 1/2 ) Tori Spelling and boyfriend Dean McDermott try to be innkeepers. Only she doesn't cook. And he doesn't know what he's doing. March 20 on Oxygen.
Work Out. ( * *) An exercise in exercise, business relationships and lesbian love. Season 2. March 20 on Bravo.
Variety
Showbiz Show With David Spade. (Unpreviewed) The limply funny talk show returns. Season 3, March 15 on Comedy Central.
The Whitest Kids U'Know. ( * * *) Comedy with a hard (some might say taboo) edge comes to niche television. March 20 on Fuse.
Coming soon
The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman. (Unpreviewed) Lt. Andy Baldwin, a 30-year-old undersea medical officer stationed in Hawaii, stars in the 10th edition of the reality series. April 2 on ABC.
Drive . (Unpreviewed) Mystery/adventure series about a road rally in which the participants are not volunteers. April 15 on Fox.
Entourage. (Unpreviewed) The boys are back in town for Season 4. April 8 on HBO.
Head Case. (Unpreviewed) Elizabeth Goode is not your typical therapist. As played by Alexandra Wentworth, she's judgmental and often rude to Hollywood's maladjusted celebrity elite. Getting the Goode Treatment: Rick Fox, Tom Sizemore, Alanis Morissette, Jason Priestley, Ione Skye, Sean P. Hayes, Ralph Macchio, Jane Kaczmarek, Jennifer Finnigan, Andy Dick, Shelby Lynne, Rich Eisen, Jonathan Silverman, Liz Phair, Fred Willard and Willie Garson. April 18 on Starz.
On the Lot. (Unpreviewed) Budding filmmakers show their short movies and viewers decide who wins a development deal. Executive producers: Mark Burnett, Steven Spielberg. Unscheduled, Fox.
Planet Earth. ( * * * 1/2 ) Spectacular eye candy awaits in this limited-run nature series. April 25 on Discovery.
The Shield. (Unpreviewed) Season 6. Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker returns to television's grittiest show. April 3 on FX.
Sons of Hollywood. ( * *) The sons of Aaron Spelling and Rod Stewart team up with friend David Weintraub in this reality series about the Hollywood business and entertainment scene. April 1 on A&E.
The Sopranos. (Unpreviewed) Ba-da-bye-bye. The last nine episodes begin. April 8 on HBO.
Thank God You're Here. (Unpreviewed) Four actors walk into a live sketch without a script. Host: David Alan Grier. Judge: Dave Foley. April 9 on NBC.
The Tudors. ( * * 1/2 ) Jonathan Rhys-Myers plays a young Henry VIII in a production that is as interested in his prodigious sexual appetite as in his political accomplishments. April 1 on Showtime.
mike.mcdaniel@chron.com
LINK
